"Delicious."
Leo praised the dish, and Bella's face flushed slightly red.
Since Marcus rarely brought friends home, she usually ate alone or only with him. Compliments from others were something she seldom heard.
The atmosphere at the dinner table was warm and harmonious. After finishing the meal, Bella went to the kitchen to wash the dishes, while Marcus turned to her and said, "I'm heading out with Leo. I'll be back later."
"Okay, come back soon!" Bella responded sweetly. Then, turning to Leo, she added, "Come visit us again!"
Leo smiled and agreed, and the two left the yard together.
"Leo, when you're at the Advanced Ability Academy, don't go out of your way to take care of Bella too much. She's got a strong sense of pride, and being treated differently makes her uncomfortable. Just help her get familiar with the environment when she first gets there. Once she knows her way around, she'll manage fine on her own."
Marcus gave Leo this instruction, and Leo nodded in understanding. He had already noticed that Bella was an independent person.
As they walked out, they saw a group of men standing outside. Upon seeing them, a middle-aged man with a fawning smile approached.
"Brother Marcus, about this kid…" The man began, but Marcus cut him off before he could continue.
"He's my guest. If you're smart, you'll leave him alone. But if you're determined to cause trouble, you'll have to deal with me first."
Marcus' tone was calm, but it carried a menacing weight. The man's smile froze instantly, and his face darkened.
"I call you 'Brother Marcus' out of respect for the past, but if you don't know what's good for you—"
Before he could finish, Marcus delivered a swift kick to his stomach, sending him flying into the wall. The man collapsed to the ground, coughing violently.
"If you've got the guts to fight, then fight. If not, get lost." Marcus' expression was blank, but his aura radiated danger, making him seem more like a wild beast.
The others in the group, intimidated by Marcus, didn't dare to say a word.
"Let's go," Marcus said coldly. "If they give you any more trouble, come find me. I'll personally make sure they regret it."
With that, Leo walked past the men confidently. Though they glared at him, none dared to move.
Once they were out of sight, Leo broke into a run. Despite Marcus' intervention, Leo didn't want to rely on him entirely. After all, Marcus no longer held the status he once did, and those men might not respect him forever.
After exiting the alley, a familiar voice sounded in his mind.
[ Mission completed. Reward: 500 points, 100 energy points, and one random draw. ]
Relieved, Leo understood that those men wouldn't be a threat for the time being. He quickly figured out the direction and ran toward where Mia and Finn were waiting.
When he arrived, he found Mia and Finn sleeping soundly on the mattress. Seeing this, he smiled helplessly but also felt relieved. At least Mia was obedient and stayed put.
Sitting down next to them, Leo activated the random draw. Soon, the system announced, [You've received a universal fusion worm.]
Although he didn't have an immediate use for the reward, Leo was satisfied.
After Mia and Finn woke up, they headed back to Finn's house together.
In the following days, Leo kept a low profile and didn't leave the house unless necessary. On the morning of the academy's opening day, he prepared a day's worth of food and left it in the kitchen. He instructed Mia not to open the door for anyone before leaving with Finn for the Advanced Ability Academy.
The academy's entrance was bustling with activity as many students gathered there. The difference between new students and returning ones was easy to spot. The returning students walked straight through the gates without hesitation, while the new students lingered, reluctant to part from their parents.
As Leo and Finn arrived, they noticed Bella standing alone near the entrance. Remembering Marcus' request, Leo approached her with a friendly smile.
"Why are you standing here alone? Didn't Marcus come with you?"
Smiling gently, he introduced her to Finn. "This is Bella, my friend." Then, pointing to Finn, he added, "And this is Finn."
Finn, noticing something off about Bella's eyes, greeted her politely. "Hello."
"Hello," Bella responded softly with a sweet smile.
She explained, "My brother dropped me off, but something urgent came up, so he had to leave. I'm waiting for a teacher who promised to help me get familiar with a route inside the academy. Since my vision is impaired, I'll be using that route in the future to move around."
Leo was impressed by the thoughtfulness of the academy. However, he soon noticed Bella's forehead glistening with sweat. She had clearly been standing there for quite some time.
"How long have you been waiting?" Leo asked gently.
Bella thought for a moment before answering softly, "I'm not sure. I can't see the time, but it feels like a while. My brother brought me here early to avoid the crowd."
Leo's expression darkened. It was clear that no teacher was coming to meet Bella. If they had, she wouldn't have been standing here alone for so long.
"Don't wait anymore. I'll take you in," Leo said firmly.
Bella hesitated for a moment but then shook her head gently. "No, I'll wait a little longer. The teacher promised, so they'll come."
Seeing her determination, Leo didn't insist but said softly, "Then we'll wait with you."
Bella smiled sweetly, grateful for their company.
Time passed, and the surroundings grew quieter as fewer students remained outside. Bella began to feel a twinge of sadness. She had been hopeful about starting at the academy, but now she felt abandoned.
Just then, a man rushed out of the gates. It was William, the same teacher who had spoken to Leo previously. Upon seeing Leo, he breathed a sigh of relief and approached them with an apologetic smile.
"Sorry for the delay. I got caught up with something inside and lost track of time," William explained. Though his words were light, his expression revealed genuine concern.
"It's fine," Leo said calmly, though he couldn't hide his dissatisfaction entirely.
William then turned his attention to Bella. "And who's this?" he asked, noticing her bag.
"This is Bella, also a new student. Since she's visually impaired, a teacher promised to guide her around the academy, but no one showed up," Leo explained, his tone laced with displeasure.
Hearing this, William frowned. "Students with impaired vision usually aren't admitted, but since she was promised entry, leaving her stranded like this is unacceptable. I'll take her in myself."
Leo introduced William to Bella. "This is William, one of the academy's tutors."
Bella smiled in gratitude, and Leo helped her carry her bag. Meanwhile, Finn, who was fighting off drowsiness, managed to stay awake and followed them closely.
After registering Leo and Finn without any issues, they moved on to Bella's registration. However, the teacher handling the process couldn't find her name on the list.
"Her name isn't here, which means either she didn't officially register, or her registration wasn't approved," the teacher explained helplessly.
Bella, shocked, quickly said, "But I did register, and the teacher who handled it said everything was fine and that someone would meet me today."
William sighed, realizing what had happened. "It looks like they never intended to follow through. I've seen this kind of thing before."
Seeing Bella's downcast expression and Leo's rising anger, William quickly added, "Write her name down now. I'll take her as one of my students. I still have two open slots."
The teacher nodded and recorded Bella's details. With that, William led the group deeper into the academy.